


Achilles Heel

by Rose_of_Pollux



Series: Inktober for Writers 2018: Hurt/Comfort edition [19]
Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 14:41:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16348637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_of_Pollux/pseuds/Rose_of_Pollux
Summary: [Early days] In which Napoleon learns the hard way that falling off of a waterfall has repercussions, even if you think you’ve recovered.





	Achilles Heel

As much as Napoleon wanted to admit that falling off Niagara Falls was something that he had easily moved on from, it simply wasn’t the case. It had been embarrassing enough when, just a couple of months later, he had fainted at the sight of Angel Falls in Venezuela. And it had been frustrating as well to know that this was a weakness now. He could only hope that THRUSH would never find out about it.

Illya was calm and understanding through all of it, reassuring him that it was to be expected that he have this aversion towards waterfalls after what he had been through. He thought nothing less of him.

However, the slow road to recovery from this ordeal soon had to be abandoned as THRUSH gave chase while they were running through the jungle.

“There is a cave behind these particular falls—we can use it to hide from THRUSH,” Illya said. “The tunnel goes deep enough that we can escape through the side of the mountain. We can outdistance them if we hurry!”

And Napoleon had stopped as they approached, his breathing tight and sweat pouring down his face as he stared at the cascade of water.

“Napoleon…” Illya said, gently but firmly. “I would not insist upon it if we had no other choice. THRUSH grunts are coming at us from all sides—there is no other way of escape but through the water.”

“…Go without me,” Napoleon said, after a moment.

“…What…?”

“I can’t ask you to put yourself in danger because of my cowardice,” Napoleon said. “You go on ahead through the falls; I’ll try to hide out here.”

Illya’s expression softened—but only slightly, given the dire circumstances.

“I have known you for over a year now, Napoleon. Trust me when I say that you are not a coward. You do have a phobia, brought about by your trauma—and it is a fear you must face, for THRUSH will not be merciful after you dispatched of their leader last year. And I will not abandon you to their wrath. Either we go through the water together, or we both take our chances out here together.”

“I can’t let you do that!”

“And I cannot let you face THRUSH alone,” Illya responded. “I will go with your decision, whatever it may be—but we will face it together. It is how we defeated the Baron of THRUSH last year, after all—and why our partnership worked out so well, in spite of our being so different.”

Napoleon considered this and nodded; he looked back at the falls, trying to unlock the knot forming in his chest. And gunshot rang out from the opposite direction, and then another—THRUSH was coming.

Napoleon stared at the water once more, looked back to Illya, and gave a shaky—but determined—nod.

“We’ll take the falls.”

Illya nodded back in approval; he seized Napoleon’s hand, and the two of them jumped through the veil of water and into the cave.

Napoleon exhaled the breath he’d been holding, relieved. He looked back at Illya with a smile.

“Well done, Napoleon,” Illya said. “But we cannot stay; we need to keep going down these tunnels.”

Napoleon nodded and led the way, the two of them heading onward together.


End file.
